BOOK REVIEW/BLOG TOUR + INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY: Katherine - Tudor Duchess by Tony Riches

Publication Date: October 1, 2019
Preseli Press
eBook & Paperback; 328 pages
Series: The Brandon Trilogy, Book 3
Genre: Historical Fiction

Synopsis

Attractive, wealthy and influential, Katherine Willoughby is one of the most unusual ladies of the Tudor court. A favourite of King Henry VIII, Katherine knows all his six wives, his daughters Mary and Elizabeth, and his son Edward, as well as being related by marriage to Lady Jane Grey.


She marries Tudor knight, Sir Charles Brandon, and becomes Duchess of Suffolk at the age of fourteen. Her Spanish mother, Maria de Salinas, is Queen Catherine of Aragon’s lady in waiting, so it is a challenging time for them all when King Henry marries the enigmatic Anne Boleyn.

Following Anne’s dramatic downfall, the short reign of young Catherine Howard, and the tragic death of Jane Seymour, Katherine’s young sons are tutored with the future king, Prince Edward, and become his friends.

Katherine and Charles Brandon are chosen to welcome Anna of Cleves as she arrives in England. When the royal marriage is annulled, Katherine’s good friend, Catherine Parr becomes the king’s sixth wife, and they work to promote religious reform.

When King Edward dies, his Catholic sister Mary is crowned queen and Katherine’s Protestant faith puts her family in great danger - from which there seems no escape.

Katherine’s remarkable true story continues the epic tale of the rise of the Tudors, which began with the best-selling Tudor trilogy and concludes with the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

My Thoughts

Once again I’ve been entertained and enlightened by one of Tony Riches’ fictional biographies. I came to this novel knowing very little about Katherine Willoughby, the fourth wife of Sir Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk, and left it amazed that more wasn't known about this remarkable woman, who could have been Henry VIII's seventh wife. That fact alone should have propelled her into the spotlight.

The novel spans thirty years, beginning when Katherine was 9 years old and the ward of Charles Brandon, and ending when Elizabeth I ascends the throne. In that time she saw the passing parade of Henry VIII’s wives, suffered personal loss and tragedy, re-married for love and escaped religious persecution for exile in Europe.

Katherine wasn’t a schemer, as many of the Tudor women were, but still furthered her family’s interests when the opportunities arose. Although she did make enemies and was often criticised for her outspokenness, she avoided the pitfalls of court life, possibly due to her favourable relationship with Henry VIII and the benefit of having friends well placed at court who warned her of any particular danger.

There's not much that I can say about Tony Riches' writing that I haven't said before. Like all the other novels I have read by this author, Katherine - Tudor Duchess is engrossing, informative and well-researched. It fares well as a standalone and is a great conclusion to the trilogy.

Katherine - Tudor Duchess is available from Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon Aus.

About the Author

Tony Riches is a full-time writer and lives with his wife in Pembrokeshire, West Wales. After several successful non-fiction books, Tony turned to novel writing and wrote ‘Queen Sacrifice’, set in 10th century Wales, followed by ‘The Shell’, a thriller set in present day Kenya. A specialist in the history of the early Tudors, he is best known for his Tudor Trilogy. Tony’s other international best sellers include ‘Warwick ~ The Man Behind the Wars of the Roses’ and ‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’.

For more information please visit Tony’s website and his blog The Writing Desk. He can also be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, November 18
Excerpt at Short Book and Scribes

Tuesday, November 19
Guest Post at On the Tudor Trail

Wednesday, November 20
Review at Gwendalyn's Books

Thursday, November 21
Review at 100 Pages a Day
Feature at View from the Birdhouse

Friday, November 22
Feature at Cover To Cover Cafe

Monday, November 25
Review at A Chick Who Reads

Tuesday, November 26
Excerpt at The Book Junkie Reads

Wednesday, November 27
Review at Passages to the Past

Thursday, November 28
Excerpt at Chicks, Rogues and Scandals

Monday, December 2
Review at book frolic
Review at History + Fiction + Spirit

Tuesday, December 3
Review at Nursebookie

Wednesday, December 4
Review at Historical Fiction with Spirit

Thursday, December 5
Review at Donna's Book Blog
Review at Curling up by the Fire

Friday, December 6
Excerpt at Coffee and Ink
Review at A Darn Good Read

Giveaway (International)

During the Blog Tour, we are giving away two paperbacks of Katherine-Tudor Duchess by Tony Riches! To enter, please use the Gleam form here.

Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59 pm EST on December 6th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Paperback giveaway is open internationally.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspicion of fraud will be decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– The winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner is chosen.